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bickie's review
3.0
Double-voiced book from perspectives of a boy and girl, black seniors in high school outside of Charleston, SC. Felt very authentic - lots of slang, lots of trash talk about girls as objects for the desire of boys. Starts out horrifying (T. Diddy, the star football player is a playa who has "smashed" 18 girls so far and hoping Kym will be #19 until he gets interested in Claudia). He eventually has some character development through his relationship with Claudia, which deepens as they get to know each other. I was disappointed that Claudia's character did not seem to grow much, and I thought the intellectual difference between her and T. Diddy was too great. While he ends up seeming like a "good person," he still seems like a football jock cribbing others' words. Students will see themselves in this book. Ages 14+
jackiehorne's review
3.0
I was excited to see this book on a list of YA romances in a column in THE HORN BOOK, as I'm always on the look-out for romances with African-American characters. The book's social justice storyline (the protagonists work on a campaign to protest their school's budget cuts) made it even more appealing, and I turned right to it when a copy came in from the library.
But I have decidedly mixed feelings after reading it. On the one hand, the story stemmed from a writing workshop Alexander led with 30 teens in Charleston, SC, an experience which gives his narrative a real sense of linguistic and behavioral authenticity. What many of us readers outside this culture would call slang, but might better be thought of as the language of southern city African-American teens, can make for difficult reading at times, but provides a rich verbal experience.
This same sense of authenticity, though, is also what makes me cringe, at least as far as these teen boys' attitudes and behaviors towards girls and women go. The book's male protagonist, Omar, or, as he calls himself, "T-Diddy," shows us his attitude immediately:
For real, though, I must be off my game, 'cause we started talking right before Thanksgiving break, and it doesn't usually take me a whole month to bong bong! I even had to buy her a Christmas gift. Those sterling silver bangles cost me forty-eight dollars. She better be worth it, especially since she's number twenty. Real talk, since I moved down here from Brooklyn, I've smashed nineteen girls—one from the college. It's not even like the girls down south are easier than up north, it's just the perks of being the star quarterback on the state championship football team. Not to mention, T-Diddy looks goooooooood. (2-3).
In this dual-narrator love story, the object of T-Diddy's lust is Claudia Clarke, a Harvard-bound daughter of missionaries who has no time or interest in a playa like T-Diddy. As she tells him after she finds out he made a bet with his friends that he could get her into the sack within a month, " 'It really doesn't matter. You're a guy. And guys are apes.' I'm probably too hard on him, but it is what it is. Guys only want one thing: to get inside our minds, so they can get between our legs." (66). Most of the other girls are content with the exchange of sex for social capital, of being associated with the famous T-Diddy, but Claudia has her sights set higher than the social world of her Charleston school.
Gradually, of course, T-Diddy and Claudia come to know each other, like each other, and even become emotionally and sexually intimate with each other, all while joining together to inspire their schoolmates to protest budget cuts that endanger the school's art programs. But along the way, Claudia has to put up with a TON of pretty offensive talk, from T-Diddy's friends, from other girls in the school, and especially from T-Diddy. It literally made my heart ache to see how often the girls had to hear that they were just objects for the boys' pleasure, how little worth they had in themselves. I really wasn't sure how to read the outcome of Claudia and T-Diddy's romance, nor the book's very last scene—are we supposed to read it Claudia's turning the tables on female objectification? Or her ultimate capitulation to it??
So, much to admire, much to lament. Well worth the read, though. A good book to think with.
But I have decidedly mixed feelings after reading it. On the one hand, the story stemmed from a writing workshop Alexander led with 30 teens in Charleston, SC, an experience which gives his narrative a real sense of linguistic and behavioral authenticity. What many of us readers outside this culture would call slang, but might better be thought of as the language of southern city African-American teens, can make for difficult reading at times, but provides a rich verbal experience.
This same sense of authenticity, though, is also what makes me cringe, at least as far as these teen boys' attitudes and behaviors towards girls and women go. The book's male protagonist, Omar, or, as he calls himself, "T-Diddy," shows us his attitude immediately:
For real, though, I must be off my game, 'cause we started talking right before Thanksgiving break, and it doesn't usually take me a whole month to bong bong! I even had to buy her a Christmas gift. Those sterling silver bangles cost me forty-eight dollars. She better be worth it, especially since she's number twenty. Real talk, since I moved down here from Brooklyn, I've smashed nineteen girls—one from the college. It's not even like the girls down south are easier than up north, it's just the perks of being the star quarterback on the state championship football team. Not to mention, T-Diddy looks goooooooood. (2-3).
In this dual-narrator love story, the object of T-Diddy's lust is Claudia Clarke, a Harvard-bound daughter of missionaries who has no time or interest in a playa like T-Diddy. As she tells him after she finds out he made a bet with his friends that he could get her into the sack within a month, " 'It really doesn't matter. You're a guy. And guys are apes.' I'm probably too hard on him, but it is what it is. Guys only want one thing: to get inside our minds, so they can get between our legs." (66). Most of the other girls are content with the exchange of sex for social capital, of being associated with the famous T-Diddy, but Claudia has her sights set higher than the social world of her Charleston school.
Gradually, of course, T-Diddy and Claudia come to know each other, like each other, and even become emotionally and sexually intimate with each other, all while joining together to inspire their schoolmates to protest budget cuts that endanger the school's art programs. But along the way, Claudia has to put up with a TON of pretty offensive talk, from T-Diddy's friends, from other girls in the school, and especially from T-Diddy. It literally made my heart ache to see how often the girls had to hear that they were just objects for the boys' pleasure, how little worth they had in themselves. I really wasn't sure how to read the outcome of Claudia and T-Diddy's romance, nor the book's very last scene—are we supposed to read it Claudia's turning the tables on female objectification? Or her ultimate capitulation to it??
So, much to admire, much to lament. Well worth the read, though. A good book to think with.
notinjersey's review
3.0
I purchased this book in 2020 and listened to it this month. I suppose this is one of the reasons I don’t like to buy books before knowing whether I’ll love them! This was not a hit for me, sadly, as I have enjoyed other books by Kwame Alexander. It may be that this was published 10 years ago, but it doesn’t hold up to current standards, in my opinion. The way the boys talked about and treated the girls was upsetting to me. Claudia’s main role in the book is to fall for Omar when he joins her nonviolent protest in order to impress her. The idea of the protest was interesting and could have been more of the focus of the book. Instead, it was more about how all the girls wanted Omar, even Claudia.
dude_watchin_with_the_brontes's review
3.0
I liked the way the book addressed social justice issues, and I liked Omar's character arc, but I felt like the female characters got kind of a raw deal. Even though the book is supposed to be equally about Omar and Claudia, Claudia seemed like much more of an end goal than a fully-fleshed-out character. I also felt like Kym and Eve were a little over-the-top evil.
cocopurplebooks's review
2.0
Honestly, this book could've been better. The story was really cliche and fast paced and while I liked Omar and Claudia, I didn't really connect with their characters too much because everything felt rushed. The idea for the protest was good but everything else was just meh.
I like Omar and Claudia's relationship even though it gets messy at times and both characters get their time to shine but the ending felt really underwhelming and I was disappointed because I thought this book was going to be a little more developed and more interesting. It wasn't bad but I was expecting something more stronger than this.
I like Omar and Claudia's relationship even though it gets messy at times and both characters get their time to shine but the ending felt really underwhelming and I was disappointed because I thought this book was going to be a little more developed and more interesting. It wasn't bad but I was expecting something more stronger than this.
notinjersey's review against another edition
3.0
I purchased this book in 2020 and listened to it this month. I suppose this is one of the reasons I don’t like to buy books before knowing whether I’ll love them! This was not a hit for me, sadly, as I have enjoyed other books by Kwame Alexander. It may be that this was published 10 years ago, but it doesn’t hold up to current standards, in my opinion. The way the boys talked about and treated the girls was upsetting to me. Claudia’s main role in the book is to fall for Omar when he joins her nonviolent protest in order to impress her. The idea of the protest was interesting and could have been more of the focus of the book. Instead, it was more about how all the girls wanted Omar, even Claudia.
karaby's review
2.0
I wonder if the story would be any different if the author was writing it now. It’s really disappointing, coming from such a heralded author as Alexander.
sweetdreams_sunshine's review against another edition
3.0
Despite the fact this book doesn't have the greatest ratings (or many ratings at all) I did enjoy the book overall.
It certainly had it's issues. But there were also certain aspects that worked well (at least for me).
3.5 stars
(I will get around to really reviewing this book and may change the rating at a later date.)
It certainly had it's issues. But there were also certain aspects that worked well (at least for me).
3.5 stars
(I will get around to really reviewing this book and may change the rating at a later date.)
afro8921's review
4.0
I really liked this book. It was laugh out loud funny at times and a more honest portrayal of young love. This story deals with issues of teen pregnancy, youth activism, and violence in a way that is more realistic in this current generation. This book would be an ideal read for both male and female audiences.